TalkTalk has been reprimanded by the advertising watchdog over adverts which claimed that it is the 'UK’s safest broadband'.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned three adverts after TalkTalk claimed its free network security package to customers, called HomeSafe, made it the safest.

The online security service, which launched in May last year, allows parents to block children from accessing adult content online, gives parents control over the usage of social media sites and gaming websites as well as alerting users against viruses.

Naughty step: A clip from the TalkTalk advert that appeared on TV last year.

When you surf the internet you are at
risk from viruses and these can attack your computer, phone, games
console via both the internet connection, from the internet provider to your router, and the wireless network
connection, from the router to your home computer or device.

Rival firm BT complained to the ASA that the TalkTalk's claim to be the 'UK’s safest broadband' was misleading because customers would believe that the TalkTalk package was the safest for both the connection from the network provider to the router, and the connection from the router to the device.

TalkTalk told the ASA that the advert made the assumption that consumers would know that 'safest broadband' referred to its security package protecting the 'internet connection to the router', and not as including the wireless connection from the router to any device.

However, the ASA agreed with BT and said that customers may think that they would enjoy the safest overall online experience when using TalkTalk broadband, rather than just the safest internet connection.

TalkTalk told the ASA that it was not claiming that it provided the safest online experience, and the advert only referred to the additional services provided by its HomeSafe package, most of which are not offered free by other providers.

The ASA said 'consumers were unlikely to understand what "network level security" was, as it was not a commonly used term in home broadband, and that it could be easily misinterpreted to refer to other features such as the security of the wireless connection'.

Despite the ASA finding against it, TalkTalk has decided to herald the ruling as a success, claiming that it proves that it offers the UK’s safest broadband connection.

A spokesman from TalkTalk said: 'We welcome this ruling that establishes, once and for all, that TalkTalk offers the UK’s safest broadband connection. We introduced HomeSafe and its unique network-level protection in May and already over 200,000 families have chosen to activate it and it’s blocked more than 1 million unwelcome websites at their request.'

The ASA warned TalkTalk that its security adverts must not appear again in their current form.